Gender-Sensitive Citizenship: An Ebong Alap AMAN Trust Initiative

Project Period: May-June 2016 to May-June 2017

AMAN Trust in collaboration with Ebong Alap, Kolkata aims to execute the project on creating a Gender Sensitive Citizenship in the regions of West Bengal supported by Human Capability Foundation (HCF). For past five years, AMAN and Ebong Alap have jointly executed various projects concerning gender justice, peace building and mobilizing youth in educational institutes in social welfare and human rights issues. In continuation to the fruitful collaboration, AMAN and Ebong Alap commit to hold a series of discussions and workshops aimed to advocate gender sensitivity in educational institutions across the state of West Bengal. In order to accomplish its vision, the project committedly worked with a grass-root community based organization Disha in the Sunderban region of West Bengal.

In partnership with fellow NGOs the project tried bridging the gap between the women of Sunderban island, the urban middle class, the rural working class and youth through a range of activities in Sundarban region. The project team in collaboration with the state government’s Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (Mission) worked with adolescents to generate awareness on gender and sexuality issues in seven government high schools across highly sensitive Indo-Bangla border region. The main issues addressed through project intervention were – (i) relationships, friendships and issues of sex abuse, (ii) cell phones and its use/misuse. In collaboration with Sappho for Equality on Self, Society and Gender-Sexuality two workshops were conducted to discuss various queer issues with trans-sexuals, bisexuals and inter-sexuals in the Sunderban regions of West Bengal.

The project was successful in initiating dialogue amongst adolescents on important issues pertaining to gender sensitivity. Responses recorded from children proved that the workshops were helpful for them to build understanding on sex abuse, adolescent girl’s health and hygiene and understand the need for gender sensitivity. The project was also successful in collaborating with the state government of West Bengal which resulted in enhanced intervention.